Sealing Cabin

[INA201]

Howdy,

I was wondering if you guys experience an increase of airflow, especially hot air, into the cabin when closing the cowl flaps.  It seems like a very noticeable increase in temperature when I level off to cruise and close the cowl flaps.  I also had my door open in flight one time(long embarrassing story lol) and the plastic panel on my left bowed out a good four inches from the airflow coming in somewhere back behind it.  Obviously air is attracted to lower pressure and comes in if there are leaks.  Has anyone come up with a good solution to tightening up the cabin?  I'm thinking some type of sealant, aluminum tape, etc. but don't know the best route to take for a long term solution. Btw my cowl flaps are adjusted to only close to about 1/2" or so when closed. Thanks in advance for your responses.

Scott

[jrwilson]

Maybe aluminum tape up in the nose gear wheel well?

[Yetti]

Has your duct tape been replaced with alum tape?  Most of the cabin floor has a gap around it and the rudder pedals and such.  It is taped with some sort of tape.  duct tape has about a 10 year life span unless it gets hot.  You also might want to check the firewall for holes that have become unplugged that wires run through.  Of course that would make it not a very good fire wall as there is a reason to have those holes plugged with fire resistant plugging material

[bradp]

You'll see in particular that there is a straight shot from the floor gear indicator to FW fwd and the nose gear well.  There are also gaps around the center console.  

When I recently took down my carpet I was surprised to see several gaps where the duct tape was no more.  

Replace with aluminum foil tape.  There is fire resistant reinforced stuff (expensive) on McMaster Carr but that may be overkill.  

We have a steel cage and a through spar but everything else seems to be held together with duct tape.